Cape Town - An elderly Lavender Hill couple who will be tying the knot this evening, are living proof that true love never dies.
Helen Keever, 70, and Christie Josephs, 71, believe their 52 year reunion is blessed by God who brought them together after so many years.
Keever and Josephs were 18 and 19 respectively in 1970, and madly in love. Their relationship ended due to a small dispute.
Keever and Josephs tied the knot with their respective spouses in 1972 and went on to have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Keever was blessed with three children, one of whom is deceased, and has eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Josephs too had three children but one of them died. He has six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Now in their old age, both have to use hearing-aids.
In 2018, Keever’s ex-husband who she had divorced after 21 years of marriage, died. She had raised her children working two jobs as a machinist and carer.
Josephs' wife and daughter died nine months ago, in September 2021. After the death of his wife, Josephs went searching for Keever and found himself at her doorstep one Sunday after she returned from church.
Keever believes God answered her prayers after she asked him to send someone to look after her one day.
“I was a machinist and I worked as a carer during the holidays to help raise my children alone as a single mother, I was the breadwinner throughout my marriage,” she said.
“In my 30s I found God. My life changed after that and I asked God in my old age to send me someone who could help me and look after me, and then that Sunday in September last year when I came home from church, Christie was standing outside my door.
“He said his wife had died and he had been asking relatives where I was and they told him where I had moved to.”
Keever said she believed God had preserved their love for decades because they complemented one another in a unique way.
“Christie has made a huge difference in my life and I can feel the love he has for me,” she said.
“God sent him to me, I asked for help and God did not send a stranger .
“Christie wants to do everything for me.”
Josephs said he never gave up on their love and shared his experience and feelings about Keever with his children.
“I feel very happy and blessed that I have found my true love after 52 years.”
Josephs’ cousin, Carol Michaels had helped the two reunite and said everyone in Lavender Hill was happy they were back together: “Everyone knew Christie and Helen when they were a couple and now we are all so happy they have found each other again.
“Christie showed up at my door and I told him where Helen lives.”
When asked by my family if they had a wedding cake, Keever said they did: “I baked two cakes and Christie will be icing it.”
The two are set to get married at 7pm on Friday, June 17 at Keever’s home.